What is Valentine's day?

1. Why do we celebrate it? What is Valentine's day?

2. Valentine's Day is celebrated every year on the 14th February.How do we celebrate it?

3. Valentine is the name of a person who lived long long ago. We don’t know exactly what he looked like but this is what he might have looked like.

4. This is the story of Valentine and how he became so special that he has a day named after him. Valentine lived over 1000 years ago. We don’t know if this story is true but some people think it is.

5. Long long ago there was an Emperor called Claudius. He lived in Rome in a big palace.

6. Claudius wanted lots of men to join his army and go and fight in different countries.

7. Most men did not want to fight wars because it meant leaving their wives and families.

8. This made Claudius very angry so he decided to make a new rule that people could not get married. He thought if men did not have wives and children then they would want to join his army.

9. Valentine was a priest. One of his jobs was to marry people. Even though Claudius had banned people from getting married, Valentine would marry people secretly – sometimes at night, whispering so no one would hear them.

10. Valentine was caught and sent to prison. Claudius said Valentine must be killed because he broke the law.

11. When people heard what had happened to Valentine they felt very sad. Some people threw flowers and notes up to his prison window.

12. One of the prison guards had a daughter. He let her visit Valentine. They talked for hours and became very good friends.

13. On the day that Valentine died. He sent a message to his friend thanking her for her friendship.He signed it ... from your Valentine. It was the 14th February.

14. Now every year on 14th February people send Valentine cards to people they love and care for. Sometimes they want it to be a secret so they sign it, From your Valentine

15. Valentine’s Happy Day To you all Eve batten 11.2.08